As we look to continue to improve our program and align ourselves with the US Soccer curriculum and best practices for player development, we will be offering additional and appropriate practise and/or game opportunities for players starting Session 2.

I will be asking our coaches to nominate players that can individually improve from a different coaching/learning environment and for those nominated players to practise and/or play with a different team.

Nominated players will practise and/or play with a different team for 1 event per week. This one event per week could be a practise or a game and will change from week to week.

Nominated players will attend this 1 event per week INSTEAD OF, NOT AS WELL AS their regular team event.

This will involve some flexibility and understanding from players, parents and coaches alike as we look to offer our players the best learning environment for them to be challenged and improve.

Current programs that we have been running have included Nordic coach Matt Gazo working with some of our forwards at our 2004 and 2005 Boys and Girls age groups.

We are also offering regular goal-keeper practises to our various age players.

Former UVM and St. Mike's Men's goal-keeper coach Lou Stazi continues to work with our 2005 and older Boys goal-keepers.

Current Plattsburgh State Womens goal-keeper coach Gene Bushey is working with our 2004 and older Girls.

Jefferson Hales and Nordic alumni (and current starting goalkeeper at St. Mike's) Leland Gazo will be working with our younger boys and girls goal-keepers.

In the wake of the US Men's National team failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, there has been alot of questioning and soul searching for the reasons why.

The current structure and philosophy of youth soccer clubs has been a hot topic of discussion and I have included links below to some interesting articles on this.

Our Board of Directors has initiated a sub committee which is reviewing past,current and future player development trends.

As always, if you any questions, feel free to contact me (Jim Goudie).